Two Islamic State members killed, soldier wounded in Diyala

Diyala (IraqiNews.com) An Islamic State member was killed, while another committed suicide in a security operation in in eastern Diyala, a commander said on Saturday.

“Joint troops of army, police and al-Hashd al-Shaabi [Popular Mobilization Forces], backed by army jets, carried out a wide-scale military operation from two directions at the region that stretches between Nada basin to Wadi al-Kalal and Wadi Kazlaq, east of Diyala,” Maj. Gen. Mazhar al-Azzawi, commander of Dijla Operations Command, told Alghad Press.

“The operation left two IS members killed. One of them, a suicide bomber, was blown up as result of shooting by the security troops. A huge rest house, including huge number of bombs and amount of explosives were destroyed in Wadi al-Kalal and areas in its vicinity,” Azzawi said.

“Wide regions were combed, based on accurate intelligence information,” Azzawi said. “Dijla operations will resume to follow the militants in Diyala.”

Earlier on the day, Azzawi announced the launch of military operation to follow the militants in east of Diyala.

Moreover, a local official from Diyala said on Saturday that troops thwarted an attack by IS against a security checkpoint in northeast of Baquba. A soldier was wounded during the accident.

“IS militants attempted to attack, in the evening, an army checkpoint in al-Kabbah village, northeast of Baqubah,” Adnan Ghadban, head of the municipal council of al-Abbara town, said.

“Army troops managed to foil the attack and follow the militants,” he said. “One of the army soldiers was wounded by a sniper while foiling the attack. He was then taken to hospital for treatment.”